Bulldogs Hunker Down For Buccaneers' Test

Game of the week - DELAND VS. MAINLAND

October 10, 1991|By Derek Catron Of The Sentinel Staff

DELAND — Mondays are bad enough without the weekly film sessions, and when DeLand High School Coach Dave Hiss reviewed last week's game it seemed to the players as if he fast-forwarded through all the good plays.

He didn't, of course, but like any coach he spent less time applauding successes than correcting the mistakes, which look like excerpts from America's Funniest Home Videos.

The players caught fumbling and stepping off-sides by the omniscient lens didn't think it was funny, at least not at first.

''I've got to see that again,'' Hiss said, narrating a dropped pass. ''Maybe he'll catch it this time.'' The players laughed, and with the tension broken Hiss got serious.

''It's the little things, fellas. Football is concentration. Without that, nothing is easy,'' Hiss said. ''I get on some of you guys, but when you do something right I'm going to tell you. When you stink it up, I'm going to tell you. If you're any kind of Bulldog, you'll bounce back.''

The Bulldogs (1-2) will need to get the little things right Friday when they play powerful Class AAAAA, District 4 rival Mainland (3-1). Not many people expect them to give the Buccaneers much of a fight, but for the Bulldogs that's just part of the fun.

Other games this week include St. Augustine at Seabreeze and Spruce Creek at Titusville Astronaut tonight. On Friday night, Mandarin is at Deltona, Gateway is at New Smyrna Beach, Jacksonville Trinity is at Father Lopez, and Taylor visits Wymore.

The game with Mainland will be DeLand's home opener. The last time the Bulldogs tried to play a game at Spec Martin Stadium (Sept. 20 against Seminole) it was canceled because of lightning. That was worse than a loss for the young Bulldogs, who needed the experience that non-district game offered more than a victory.

Since then, a victory over Spruce Creek and last week's tie-breaker loss to Seabreeze have been tainted by the ''little things'' only experience can correct. Now the Bulldogs have experience.

''Our kids see that they're getting better,'' Hiss said. ''Seabreeze is a very good team. That's the best team we've played so far. With two or three breaks it could have gone the other way.''

It almost did. The game was tied, 24-24, at the end of regulation, but on the first play of the tiebreaker, quarterback Craig May passed to tight end Jon Black for an apparent touchdown. The play was called back, however, and the Bulldogs were penalized for throwing a pass after crossing the line of scrimmage.

Seabreeze won the game, but the game films clearly showed that on the critical play May was behind the line of scrimmage when he released the ball.

''It's kind of hard to take, to tell you the truth,'' May said. ''It's a touchdown in my book. We know we played well, and that's the important thing going into this game.''

Mainland was ranked as high as fourth in the state before a 35-14 loss to Winter Park two weeks ago. Along with three games, the Buccaneers have won the reputation of bullies as well. Whether the reputation is deserved is a matter of interpretation, but in their three victories, the Buccaneers have outscored opponents by an average of 30-1.

Twice the Buccaneers ended routs with on-side kicks and long pass attempts. To Lyman Coach Bill Scott, who was on the losing end of last Friday's 28-3 decision at Municipal Stadium, that passing late in the game was an attempt to run up the score. Or so he told Mainland Coach Doug Stanley.

But to Stanley, whose goal this season is to play 14 games - including a state championship - the late passes are practice for his struggling quarterbacks.

Like playground bullies, the Buccaneers are big, fast, strong - and largely untested. Mainland's four opponents so far this season have combined for a 3-13 record, and the Buccaneers have played only one game away from Municipal Stadium - which they lost to Winter Park.

''They're beatable - just ask Winter Park,'' Hiss said. ''But they've got too many weapons in their arsenal. They've got a tremendous package. We could have a month and still not be prepared. We're outmanned, but . . .

''It's a funny game when a bunch of 15-, 16-and 17-year-olds get together. Anything can happen.''

The game can get funny any time Hiss has the role of underdog. Among county coaches, Hiss is practically synonymous with a conservative, between-the-tackles rushing game. But he also has a reputation for saving surprises for bullies.

During the 1989 preseason, the Bulldogs worked on a spread offense that more resembled something from Steve Spurrier's ''Fun and Gun'' attack at University of Florida than a high school football formation. The Bulldogs practiced the formation from time to time throughout the season, but saved it for eight games - including seven district games - before unveiling it against Lake Howell.

''We pulled out everything we had when we were 50-point underdogs,'' Hiss said, only slighly exaggerating the point spread, ''and we'll do it again now that we're 30-point underdogs.''

The Lake Howell's Silver Hawks fit the description of a proud bully that year even better than the Buccaneers do now. They were unbeaten, had some inflated scores (47-0 over Mainland and 77-8 over Spruce Creek) and had not been scored against at home. It was also the Silver Hawks' homecoming and the final game in what they were sure would be the school's first undefeated season.

DeLand's spread offense spoiled all those plans, however, and the Bulldogs won, 31-28. Despite the loss, Lake Howell advanced to the state playoffs, while DeLand finished with a 5-5 record. But the season is considered a winning one by everyone who was a part of what the Bulldogs still call the ''game of the century.''